In the event of breast cancer, surgeons often perform mastectomies in order to remove all or part of the cancerous breast. In recent years, surgeons have increasingly utilized partial mastectomies, such as lumpectomies and quadrectomies, when they are sufficient to remove the cancerous tissue from the breast.
In cases involving complete mastectomies, patients can choose from a wide variety of prosthetic devices in order to provide a symmetrical appearance under clothing. Patients who undergo partial mastectomies are presently able to choose a partial prosthesis. Presently, partial breast prostheses are offered in a few different shapes, which each come in a few different sizes. The patient must select an off-the-shelf partial prosthesis having a shape and size that provides the patient with the most symmetry under clothing.
In many cases, the off-the-shelf partial prosthesis have shapes and sizes, which do not provide a good fit with the remaining portion of the patient's breast. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a partial prosthesis that can be custom tailored to the size and shape of the patient's breast.